


Deep Down

by Hot_elf



Series: Dragon Age - series 1 (Cat Cousland / Caitlin Hawke) [6]
Category: Dragon Age, Dragon Age II
Genre: F/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2012-06-17
Updated: 2012-06-17
Packaged: 2017-11-07 23:06:46
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 17,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/436439
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Hot_elf/pseuds/Hot_elf
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Five years after the events of DA2, Fenris and Caitlin Hawke have settled down happily out in the country near Kirkwall. But are their adventuring days really over?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Market Day

**Chapter 1: Market Day**

Caitlin Hawke woke when the first rays of sunshine fell through the window of their bedchamber. It was still early morning and the late summer sun had barely succeeded in warming the crisp night air. For a moment she basked in the feeling of peace that living here had brought her. She had never regretted moving out to the old manor house on the slopes of Sundermount almost five years ago, after everything fell to pieces in Kirkwall. The peaceful country life suited her, and Fenris was happy too, kept busy with looking after the horses they were keeping.

Fenris. She smiled when she looked at him. He was lying stretched out on his stomach on the bed next to her, his silver-blond hair tousled, fast asleep. Gently she pulled up a blanket to cover his lean naked body, just barely resisting the impulse to trace his tattoos with her fingers, to let them run over his well-muscled back and further down... But she refrained, not wanting to wake him yet. It was rare for her to be up before him, but he had come to bed late last night, wanting to finish a book on famous Dalish warriors that she had found for him in a hidden corner of the library. Quietly, she slid out of bed, slipped on a simple dress and went down to the kitchen.

Orana was already there, of course, and the smell of freshly baked rolls filled the kitchen. Caitlin smiled at the shy elf and wished her a good morning. She pulled out a tray from one of the shelves and quickly started assembling a luscious breakfast. She set water to boiling for a fresh pot of tea, while she raided the pantry. A jar of strawberry jam, left over from last summer, caught her eye. She added some yellow butter and three of the crispy golden rolls, fresh from the oven. Rummaging further, she found some eggs and a basket of mushrooms that Merrill had brought yesterday. _Hmmm, mushroom omelette._ Caitlin hummed contentedly as she chopped the mushrooms, cut a few slices of bacon and cracked five eggs into a pretty blue bowl. She wasn't much of a cook, but she enjoyed the simple task and the peaceful homely atmosphere of the huge old kitchen. The bacon sizzled in the pan and her stomach growled at the enticing smell. Quickly she added the mushrooms and the eggs and a generous amount of grated cheese. When the omelette was done, she arranged it on a warmed plate together with the bacon, added the teapot to her tray, and grabbed two fresh peaches from a bowl near the door. The peach tree growing in a sheltered courtyard near the southern wall of the old house had been the previous owner's pride and joy, its fruits a rare delicacy in the cool mountain climate.

Caitlin lifted up the heavy tray and walked up the stairs to their room. Fenris was still asleep. She left the tray on a table and climbed onto the bed, kissing him softly, tickling his cheek with strands of her long hair. He opened his eyes with a lazy smile.

"Do I smell breakfast?" His face lit up further when she brought over the tray, and he happily tucked in. She joined him, and together they finished off the omelette in no time. Caitlin settled back into the cushions and watched him eat, enjoying his appetite and the appreciative noises he made. When he had finished the last roll, he cut up one of the peaches, handing her a slice. Fenris chuckled when the juice ran down her chin and he bent over, catching it with his lips, his touch making her shiver with pleasure. With a happy sigh, he finally put the tray aside and leaned back against the bed's headboard.

"That was delicious, my love. Now, tell me, what have I done to deserve this?"

Caitlin grinned and began to crawl towards him across the bed. "Nothing yet," she purred. "But I can think of a few things."

He laughed and pulled her into a long, deep kiss, his tongue plundering her mouth, leaving her breathless.

"Hmmm, you taste of peaches," he murmured, pulling her closer, his hands wandering up under her loose dress.

"And you have strawberry jam on your face." Her tongue moved over his cheek, licking off the sweet sticky substance, and he gasped. She proceeded to nibble along his jawbone until she reached his sensitive ear and took the lobe carefully between her teeth. He hissed in pleasure and drew back, pulling her dress over her head in one fluid motion.

Caitlin moaned at the feel of his hard chest against her breasts, his hands on her back, pulling her close, his lips and teeth grazing her neck. She could feel him through the thin blanket, hard and eager, and she arched her hips into his groin to let him feel her heat, her readiness. His hands wandered down to her buttocks, kneading them firmly and he was about to lift her when suddenly they heard the patter of tiny feet out in the corridor.

"Mummy! Daddy!" Rhi's bright little voice was full of excitement.

"Venhedis!" Fenris quickly pushed Caitlin aside. "Cait, can you... I'm hardly in a state..." He gave her a pleading look, and she sighed deeply, grabbing her dress. With a last heated look at him, she slipped it on and went out, catching the little one in her arms before she could come in.

When she returned a while later, he had already put on his pants and was pulling his tunic over his head. She walked over to him and embraced him with another sigh of regret. "What a pity! This was such a nice start to the day."

He chuckled. "Trust me, I will make it up to you tonight." He let his finger travel over her lips in a gentle caress before he tore himself away. "So, what are our plans for today?"

Caitlin shrugged and reached for her clothes. "It's market day down in the village. The farmers are taking some of our things to sell, fruit and vegetables and cheeses. Orana said the travelling merchant from Orlais would be there, so I thought I'd go and see what I can get. Some fancy cloth, or maybe some sweets, or..."

Fenris took a comb and ran it through his tangled hair. "Sounds good. Don't forget to check if he has some good wine, will you? We are almost out of Nevarran red."

She kissed him briefly as she tied up her corset. "Don't worry. What will you be doing?"

"Some of the horses need shoeing, and the smith agreed to come by before noon." They smiled at each other as they left the room, ready for another long and busy day.

* * *

Caitlin wandered across the village market, taking in the atmosphere. On market days, the sleepy little village square turned into a bustling hub of activity. It reminded her of Lothering, back before the Blight, when it had still been a busy trading post. Various stands displayed fresh fruit and vegetables and she revelled in the sight and scent of fresh apples and pears, shiny peppers and bright green beans, plump grapes and colourful cabbages. With a radiant smile, she responded to the greetings of the farmers' wives going about their business. Finally, she found the travelling merchant from Orlais. He came to the village about once a year and offered fine silks and embroideries, rare delicacies and wines, as well as gossip from other places.

She was listening to the merchant tout the virtues of a dark red silk cloth in his heavily accented voice, trying to ignore the obvious flatteries he felt obliged to add, when she suddenly felt a pair of hands on her hips. Someone leaned in from behind and kissed her on the cheek with a merry laugh. Too stunned to react, she froze in place, but then she recognized the voice and a wide smile formed on her lips as she turned around.

"Anders! What in Andraste's name are you doing here?"

She hadn't seen him in more than two years. He and Bethany were kept busy at Vigil's Keep and only rarely found time to come for a visit. To see him here was a pleasant surprise indeed.

"Are you alone? Where's Beth? When did you arrive? Why didn't you write?"

Anders grinned at this barrage of questions.

"No, I'm not alone. Beth and a few Wardens are already heading to your place, but I was entrusted with the task of buying presents for our gracious hosts. I have to admit I didn't think I'd run into you here."

Caitlin looked him over. He was wearing a dark blue robe with a matching cowl, decorated with silver thread, and a shimmering silverite chain mail shirt. She had to admit he looked good in it. The blue went well with his red-gold hair and the fine cut of the robes set off his slim build to advantage.

She briefly traced the fine embroidery on his shoulders. "Whatever happened to your feathered pauldrons? I hardly recognized you in this get-up."

Anders made a face. "Commander's idea. We all have uniforms now. They call us the _Silver Army_."

Caitlin laughed. "Well, you _do_ look dashing!" Maker, but he did. She hadn't seen him look so well in years: sun-tanned, fine laugh-lines around his eyes, his hair neatly pulled back in a braid.

He smiled at the playful tone of her voice. "Where's your broody elf, Cait? Everything going well?"

She nodded. "He's at home. The horses, as usual. He's really taken with them, but you know that. And he's watching Rhi, of course."

Anders took her arm. "You haven't finished shopping, my dear. Let's walk together and I can help you choose."

"And your presents?" She raised a questioning eyebrow at him, curious to find out what he had bought her, but he refused to let himself be baited.

With a satisfied smile, he patted the satchel on his back. "I already have what I need, thank you."

Together they worked off her shopping list, haggling over prices, bantering about the wares on display, reminiscing about the market stalls in Kirkwall's Hightown. Jean Luc's Robes and Hubert's Fine Goods... all the valuable items they'd never been able to afford back then. Anders' hand rested on her hip as they walked along, and it gave her a pleasant shiver.

Caitlin couldn't help but marvel at the change in Anders when she compared his present self to the time when he was joined with Justice. This new Anders was all flippant remarks, humour and flirtatiousness, and she found herself enjoying his company a lot.

As they left the market and approached the stables to fetch their mounts for the way back, Anders noticed her looking at him, a curious expression on her face.

"What's the matter, Cait?"

She sighed. "Just you. You are so... different now. Funny, relaxed, silly even. Not like the Anders I knew back in Kirkwall." She turned away to hide the pain showing on her face. "Why did you have to do it, Anders? What in the Maker's name were you thinking when you made that deal with Justice?"

He grew serious, taking her hand. "Cait, I... Look, I know it was a mistake, probably the biggest mistake I ever made. But Justice was good, he was a true friend. He once told me he didn't know what made demons evil. He truly did not understand evil, not before he joined with me. It was I who corrupted him, not the other way round."

She shook her head, unwilling to meet his eyes. "I just wish I had met you before. Things might have been different."

Anders laughed, trying to lighten the mood. "Ah, no. You wouldn't have liked me back then. I was an incurable flirt, terribly full of myself, always coming up with smart comments."

"So, not that much different after all," Caitlin said dryly.

He put his arm around her shoulder, pulling her closer and placing a chaste kiss on her forehead. "Let's head home, shall we? Beth will be waiting."


	2. Old and New Friends

**Chapter 2: Old and New Friends**

Back at the house they found Bethany and the other Grey Wardens in the hall, where Orana had served them ale and cold meats. Caitlin happily embraced her sister and then set to unpacking her presents, curious and impatient like a child. Anders smiled indulgently when he heard her shriek with delight at the sight of the delicacies he had assembled. And he had even remembered to buy some toys for Rhianna. Caitlin felt happy and loved and excited. It was nice to have visitors once more!

When Fenris arrived from the stables, he was glad Orana had taken the time to warn him of their visitors' arrival. The usually quiet room was bustling with life. Three dwarves were talking and drinking noisily at one end of the huge wooden table. At the other end, Caitlin was sitting with Bethany and Anders, her head thrown back as she was laughing at one of Anders' jokes. For the briefest of moments Fenris' hands clenched into fists as old feelings of jealousy assailed him. Then he shook off his dark thoughts and walked over to greet their guests with a friendly handshake. Anders' familiar smirk made him bristle inside, though. When the greetings were over, he put his hand around Caitlin's neck, wrapped his fingers into her hair and bowed down to kiss her roughly.

She smiled at the possessiveness of the gesture and turned her head so his hand moved along her jaw. Catching his eyes, she quickly bit his thumb pad. She heard the tiny answering hitch in his breathing and trembled briefly with pleasurable anticipation, remembering this morning's promise. Tonight he would make sure Caitlin knew who she belonged to.

When she turned back to Anders and noticed the faint ironic smile on his lips, she realized he had watched the whole exchange and missed nothing. He knew. Of course. He had always known when she was... in the mood. Caitlin blushed and cursed inwardly when his smile became wider, and she saw him open his mouth, no doubt intending to make some sarcastic remark. Quickly, she raised her hand, silencing him.

"Don't you think you should introduce your companions, Anders?"

He grinned, seeing through her motives, but complied and called the dwarves over to join them at their end of the table. Fenris slid down on the bench next to her, his hand giving her thigh a tiny squeeze.

Two of the dwarves were wearing silverite warden armour and carrying weapons. Anders put his arms around the female's shoulders, smiling down at her affectionately as he introduced her.

"This is Sigrun. She has been with the Wardens almost as long as I have now. We met her in the Deep Roads on one of our first trips there with the Warden Commander. She's a master at detecting traps and opening locks, aren't you, my dear?"

The tiny, perky woman grinned up at him from under her fringe of black hair. Her small and rather mousy face was covered in brands that marked her as casteless. She was carrying a fine axe and a dagger and her movements were quick and assured.

Caitlin smiled at her. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Sigrun. You seem an able fighter."

Sigrun shrugged. "I used to be a member of the Legion of the Dead. We are warriors, already dead to our people. But no matter how hard I try I'm still alive. Funny how that keeps happening. And before that, I learned to fight for survival in the streets of Dust Town."

Caitlin nodded. She understood survival, ever since those first terrible years in Kirkwall.

"And you?" She turned to the second dwarf. He had fiery red hair and a braided beard and was carrying an impressive battleaxe, nearly his own size.

Anders grinned. "Meet the famous Oghren. Easy to recognize by the bad jokes and the smell. Oh, and the heavy suit of armour. He can't actually take it off, you know, or we'd all faint."

Oghren snorted. "Ha, Sparklefingers! At least I'm not wearing a skirt like you delicate mage freaks." He turned to Caitlin. "If you've ever heard of me before, it's probably all been about how I piss ale and murder little boys who look at me wrong."

Caitlin smiled, unperturbed by his blunt language. She had heard worse when she was in the army. "Plenty of ale for you here, my friend. No murdering, though, as long as you're in my house."

Oghren roared with laughter, but Anders shook his head, a disgusted expression on his face. "Really, Oghren! Why did you even want to be a Grey Warden? You thought it would make for great drinking stories? Sometimes I think you just got drunk and made a bet."

Bethany leaned over, placing a hand affectionately on the dwarf's shoulder. "Don't listen to them, Cait. Oghren likes to play the drunken imbecile, but he's a loyal friend. And once you've seen him fight, I promise you'll be impressed. He used to travel with the Hero of Ferelden during the Blight."

Caitlin looked at him with interest. "You knew the Hero? What was she like?"

Oghren shook his head. "She wasn't a _hero_ , our Cat. Just a good friend. And far too young for what they made her do. A redhead like you, a mere slip of a girl, funny and sweet. Mind you, one hell of a fighter with sword and dagger. And nimble with a lock pick. There wasn't a treasure chest she couldn't open when she set her mind to it."

Caitlin raised a disbelieving eyebrow. "Are you telling me that Catherine Cousland, daughter of the Teyrn of Highever, Slayer of the Archdemon, was a _thief_?"

Oghren guffawed. "The best in all of Ferelden, I'd wager. Aaaah, she and that assassin were the finest couple of rogues I've ever seen."

This was getting more interesting by the minute. Caitlin was intrigued. "That assassin? You mean Zevran?" She knew he had been with the Hero for a time. Isabela had mentioned it once at a friendly game of Diamondback, but Zevran had thrown her an icy stare that had shut her up immediately, and he had evaded all further questions about the topic. Caitlin had always been under the impression he and the Warden must have parted on bad terms.

Oghren looked up at her, a sly grin on his face. "Yeah, the Antivan. He taught her a thing or two, wasn't a bad fighter himself. They were always up to some mischief or other, well, whenever they weren't fighting or... you-know-what." He nudged her with his elbow and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively, leaving no doubt as to the meaning of his words.

Caitlin was stunned for a moment. "Oh! You mean Zevran and the Warden were..."

Oghren laughed again. "Of course they were! Like cats in heat. Hardly a night where they didn't keep us all awake! Why she went for an elf I'll never..." He took a deep sip of ale, grumbling as his face grew more serious. "But he loved her, he did. Broke his heart when she died. He disappeared without so much as a glance at us."

Caitlin sat back, thoughts crowding her head. _Of course_. That explained so much. Zevran's air of sadness when he thought no one was watching, his vague remarks about old wounds. Her face softened as she thought of the pain he must have gone through.

Oghren's huge belch tore her out of her reverie. "It wasn't right," he grunted. "Alistair should have taken that blow, instead of playing the King of Ferelden now. She didn't deserve to die." To her surprise, Caitlin saw a tear glinting in his eye as he downed the rest of his ale.

Fenris had listened quietly all the while, his arm around her shoulders, his presence warm and reassuring. Now he raised an eyebrow at Anders. "So, what are you lot doing here? Just a social call?"

Anders smirked. "No, even though it is good to be here." He glanced over at Bethany's happy face, then he straightened, growing more serious. "The Warden Commander sent us. Apparently, scouts found a Deep Roads entrance somewhere on the far slopes of Sundermount, a few days' journey from here. No darkspawn sightings as of yet, but it needs to be resealed. That's where Dworkin comes in."

He gestured at the third dwarf who wore his blond hair and beard in a set of elaborate braids. Unlike the others, he was dressed in a simple leather tunic and was unarmed, but he carried a huge leather bag filled with strange tools.

"Dworkin Glavonak at your service, my lady," he bowed. His voice was oddly high-pitched, almost giggly. "They call me Dworkin the Mad. Bombs and grenades are my speciality."

Anders nodded. "Dworkin knows everything there is to know about explosives. He'll be able to close off the passage with a few well-placed bombs but we'll have to go down into the tunnels in order to find a suitable place."

Caitlin frowned. "Do you expect trouble? Four wardens are a lot for such a simple task."

Anders sighed deeply. _Trust Cait to get straight to the point._ She had always been perceptive. "We do. As a matter of fact, I'm here to ask you and Fenris whether you could join us. We could use two more sets of strong arms."

Caitlin pondered for a moment. "I would have to see about Rhi, but if you need us... I could probably ask Aveline and Donnic to stay here with her for a few weeks. Really, Anders, what is this about?"

He rubbed his eyes with his hand, suddenly looking weary. "Before we set out, Leonie... the Commander, had us check the Warden library for information on that part of the Deep Roads. There were... stories. It seems that there was a huge battle there a few hundred years ago, during one of the earlier Blights. An army of dwarves desperately defending a huge vein of lyrium against the darkspawn. The Veil must be _very_ thin there."

Caitlin went quiet. She knew what that meant. Ghosts and skeletons, and lots of them, at the very least. Maybe worse. "The Deep Roads..." She sighed. "There must be a reason why I end up there every few years. Maybe some deep-seated need of mine."

Anders looked up, searching her face. "So you're coming?"

Caitlin exchanged a look with Fenris. "Rhi..." he said, his face showing apprehension. "She's only three. What if..."

Caitlin swallowed briefly, but she shook her head. "Aveline will look after her. A Deep Roads entrance near here... It's in our best interest to help sealing it." When Fenris nodded reluctantly, she turned to Anders. "You can count on us. We will need a few days to prepare, though. We can't leave the estate unprotected."

* * *

The rest of the day passed quickly. All of the wardens were eager to spar with the Champion of Kirkwall, and Fenris and Caitlin sent a silent thank you to the Maker that they had faithfully kept up their practice sessions. Even Oghren was impressed by the skill the two of them possessed with their huge greatswords and by the perfect harmony in which they fought. After a huge dinner and some pleasant conversation, everyone retired to their rooms.

When Caitlin came into their bedchamber, Fenris was already lying on the bed, naked under a thin linen sheet. His face was pensive. "So, we will be fighting again. Who will be in charge of our little enterprise, what do you think?"

Caitlin frowned at the thought as she was taking off her dress. "Well, Anders is the senior Warden."

Fenris raised an eyebrow. "And you are the Champion of Kirkwall."

"Retired now, for almost five years," she amended dryly.

"Well, you don't look old and doddery to me." His hands reached for her before she could put on her nightgown, and he pulled her roughly into the bed.

Caitlin laughed and straddled him, and he let his hands run down her back while he admired her body. She was no longer a young girl, but she was trim and taut from her daily exercise. Her breasts and hips were full and round, and he sighed contentedly as he cupped her bare bottom and pulled her against his burgeoning hardness. A few tiny scars on her belly were left over from her pregnancy, but she had larger scars all over her body from her fighting days. He lovingly traced one of them over her shoulder before he loosened her bun, caught a few strands of her dark red hair in his fingers and pulled her down into a kiss.

His hands got more insistent and he deepened the kiss, his mouth demanding and hungry on hers. She kissed him back, harder, and let her nails rake over his chest, almost drawing blood, making him hiss as the lyrium in his tattoos reacted.

They had discovered early on in their love-making that a tiny amount of pain mixed in with the pleasure would make his tattoos light up briefly, not like in battle when he was gripped by a fighting rage, but with a soft glow that caused a pleasurable tingling feeling along the lines. The effect was striking and never failed to excite Caitlin, so they had learnt to make use of it.

She was moaning at the sight of it now, of those intricate tracings on his muscular chest. He grabbed her with his strong arms, rolling over with her, pinning her down to the bed. Caitlin loved to feel his weight on top of her, loved the way his long legs entwined around hers, holding her down, willing her to stay quiet, while his lips began caressing her neck and her breasts. She pushed up against him impatiently, and he chuckled.

"What's the matter tonight, love?" he breathed against her neck. "Why are you in such a hurry?"

"It was a long day," she sighed, pressing against him. "And I thought this evening would never end."

"Well, you were the one who wanted to hear all their stories of the Blight, my dear." Fenris sounded amused.

"Oh come on, you weren't any better." Caitlin pouted. "All the time you sat there talking to Anders as if he was your long-lost best friend."

"I was just trying to be polite. But tell me, weren't you glad to see him too?" Fenris' voice had taken on a curious quality, somewhere between playfulness and anger, alternating between jealousy and desire. She shivered as she pulled him into another kiss. His lips were hard, almost punishing.

"You're mine, Cait, never forget that." His hands were gliding all over her body now, rough and possessive, without his usual tenderness, yet she found that this aroused her more than the most subtle caress could have.

"Only yours, Fen, always," she gasped, biting down hard on his shoulder, to be rewarded by a brief shimmer of blue and a ragged groan from his lips.

"And yet," he growled, his hands now between her legs, pushing them apart, so that his body came to rest between them and she could feel his hard member at her core, "some part of you still wants _him_ , admit it!"

There was enough truth in his words to make her tremble. "He is... attractive, yes. But Fen," she was shaking with need now and found it hard to concentrate on her answer. "I may... flirt with him and enjoy it but _this_... This is all yours. I want you. Please. Now."

Fenris groaned and pushed down, entering her and she met his movement, bringing them so close together that their bodies seemed to melt into each other. She held on to his shoulders so fast that it hardly left them room to move but they stayed like this for a long moment. Caitlin buried her face against his chest, holding on to the intensity of feeling him, being with him. When he pulled back and started to move inside her, she wrapped her legs around him and closed her eyes, focussing on the feel of their bodies, the new sensations whenever he changed the angle, the utter rightness of his body joined to hers, his skin on hers. Her climax started as a soft warm tingle long before he finally took her over the edge and she came screaming in his arms, pulsing around him, making him gasp and lose control.

"All yours," she sighed as he relaxed, his heavy body covering hers. She felt him smile as he touched his cheek to hers, letting his head rest on the pillow, and together they drifted off to sleep.


	3. Back in the Game

**Chapter 3: Back in the Game**

A few days later they all assembled out in the courtyard early in the morning, ready to set off on their expedition to the Deep Roads.  Caitlin's trusted old Champion armour weighed heavily on her shoulders and she envied Fenris whose leathers were considerably more comfortable. They both looked rather shabby compared to the four Wardens' brand-new uniforms and Dworkin's bright red cape.

Aveline and Donnic had arrived the evening before with their twin boys. Anders watched Caitlin as she said goodbye to her little daughter. At three years of age, Rhianna had lost most of the elven features that had been so striking when she was born. Her pointy ears were getting rounder with each passing year, but she still looked more delicate and graceful than any human child her age. With her red hair and green eyes, she resembled Caitlin, yet a second glance showed that she had inherited her father's high cheekbones and determined chin as well as his darker skin tone. The child seemed content in Aveline's arms, and Caitlin tried to be cheerful but Fenris noticed a few tears in her eyes as she turned away.

He put an arm around her shoulder, pulling her close. "Don't cry, love," he said lightly. "Before you know it, we'll be back. She won't even have time to miss you."

* * *

They decided to walk; horses would be of little use once they went underground. Each of them carried a heavy backpack filled with supplies and other necessities, with a bedroll tied to it. They only brought four tents, though, and would have to share, or sleep outside if the weather permitted. Fortunately, it was warm and sunny and they made good progress, even though the terrain was rough and they had to make some detours whenever the forest undergrowth got too dense and tangled.

Anders and Caitlin took the lead, walking side by side and occasionally consulting their maps. Once or twice the others heard them raise their voices when they disagreed, but they seemed to be able to work it out.

However, when it came to choosing a campsite in the evening, Caitlin pulled Anders aside.  "This isn't working, Anders. We'll have to decide who's leading this party."

He looked at her in surprise. "I hadn't really thought about this, to be honest. The Wardens answer to me, of course."

"But Caitlin knows the area around here better, and she's used to being in charge," Fenris pointed out. When he saw Anders' face, he cursed himself immediately for getting involved.

For a moment it seemed as if the mage was going to protest, and the other Wardens' faces clearly showed apprehension. But to everyone's surprise Anders just closed his eyes and sighed.

"All right, Cait, you take the lead. I'd have to defer to you anyway when it comes to a fight. You are definitely better at battle tactics than I am."

Caitlin smiled, a warm genuine smile, and embraced him briefly. "Thank you, Anders. I do value your advice, though, you know that." Fenris noted the expressions on the other Wardens' faces. They would take some more convincing.

When they had set up camp and built a fire, they sat down next to the warming flames, glad for some rest. Caitlin stretched and yawned, leaning back into Fenris' arms.

"I am going to be sore tomorrow. We've gone soft, love. We're no longer used to long days on the march." Her eyes fell on his bare feet and she caught one of them in her hands before he could pull it away. "Damn it, Fen! Your feet are all bloody. Why in Andraste's name won't you wear boots like everyone else?" He pulled away, trying to make light of it, but she wouldn't listen. "Anders! Do you have some salve I can put on his feet?"

Anders walked over and examined the blisters, while Fenris was positively snarling at him. "Still the wild dog, are you, eh, elf?" He rummaged in his bag to find a healing poultice.

"Shut up, mage," growled Fenris. "Just because I'm not as weak as you, doesn't mean I'm a savage."

Caitlin's head snapped up when she heard them, but when she looked at their faces, she realized both were grinning, their barbs a nostalgic echo of earlier days.

Anders noticed her worried expression and laughed. "Everything's fine, Cait. Old habits die hard."

They went to sleep as soon as the sun went down. Caitlin and Fenris snuggled close to each other in their bedrolls, struggling for some time to fall asleep on the hard floor.

* * *

In the morning they felt stiff and sore, shivering in the cold air as they drained their teacups and chewed on salted beef jerky. But as soon as they were moving again, they settled into a familiar pace.

Some time after noon, they came to a little gully, almost overgrown with bushes. They were about to go in when Fenris' sensitive elven ears picked up a noise that made his eyes widen: the tightening of a bowstring. He quickly gestured a warning at Caitlin and she ducked just in time as an arrow whizzed over her and buried itself into a tree.

"Bandits!" she shouted. "Try and find some cover, everyone. Anders, show them what you've got!"

Anders' merry voice rang out behind her. "I'd run if I were you!" The air became unbearably hot for a second as a fireball buzzed past her and impacted in the bushes in front, setting fire to them and driving the bandits from their cover.

"Teach you to mess with mages," Anders shouted as the bandits charged.

At Caitlin's sign, Bethany swiftly froze their front line in place. Caitlin and Oghren immediately attacked them, taking the first two down with a few well-placed strikes. She knew they didn't have much time. "Quick, Sigrun, as long as they're still frozen." Sigrun's blades whirled and unerringly found the weakest spot in their enemies' armour. From the corner of her eye, Caitlin saw one of the bandits shatter into tiny little pieces, making his cronies cry out in horror.

Oghren laughed out loud. "Come on, let's get our hands dirty!"  His huge battle axe cut wide arcs into the air, taking down two bandits with a single strike. Yet they kept coming. An arrow buried itself in the dwarf's bare arm and he cursed.

Caitlin didn't miss a beat. "Fenris, the archers!"

Fenris nodded and disappeared, circling their enemies, taking out the archers one by one. When she heard Anders chanting the beginning of a new spell, she recognized the words and signalled at him to stop. "Careful, Anders! Fenris...."

The incantation changed to another familiar pattern: a paralyze spell. _Good._ That would buy them time without endangering Fenris. But she had lost focus for a moment and cried out in pain as one of the bandits penetrated her cover and a sword cut deep into her left upper arm.

"Anyone need healing?" Anders' voice rang out again, and a cool wave washed over her arm, taking away the pain. The bandit seemed confused by her renewed vigour and she took advantage of his surprise to get in a few well-placed swipes. He went down with a scream and she moved on, slicing, cutting, spraying blood all over herself and her enemies, feeling utterly alive and elated.

She knew it was over when Fenris appeared in front of her, his face flushed with excitement. "We have done well!" He pulled her into his arms, while Oghren and Sigrun were taking down the last bandit.

It was suddenly very quiet. Caitlin took a deep breath and pressed her hand to her stomach, frowning when it came away bloody. In the heat of the battle, she hadn't even noticed that she had taken another wound, but now she felt dizzy.

Anders was there at her side in the twinkling of an eye, his hands moving over her stomach and stilling the flood of blood. His brows drew together. "I need to have another look at this once we've made camp," he muttered.

Caitlin nodded. "Search them," she commanded. "Maybe they have something useful."

Fenris grinned. No one was questioning her authority now. A thorough search of the bandits' bodies produced several healing poultices as well as some money and a few vials of assorted poisons.

It was getting dark when they had finished dragging the bodies to the side of the road to set up a makeshift pyre for them. A quick scouting of the area found them a suitable campsite in a little clearing, far enough from the smell of burning corpses. This time the tents went up a lot faster and they soon had a bowl of stew cooking over the fire.

Fenris was helping Caitlin take off her armour, trying not to open up the wound again, when the flap of their tent opened and Anders appeared.

"Let me have a look at this, Cait. I need to make sure there are no internal injuries."

Fenris couldn't suppress a growl when Anders yanked up her shirt and let his hands wander over her stomach, and the mage rolled his eyes impatiently.

"Really, Fenris, this is purely professional. Not even I am turned on by bloody wounds."

Caitlin stifled a grin at his words, knowing it would only incense Fenris further. Anders' face was a picture of concentration now as he examined her, making sure he hadn't missed a source of bleeding. She sighed happily when another wave of healing magic washed over her and the wound closed neatly.

"There you are. As good as new." Anders sat back, an exhausted look on his face and she felt almost guilty until he smiled at her.

 _This is what he lives for,_ Caitlin thought _. Healing. Making the pain go away._

Fenris mumbled some grudging words of thanks as the mage turned to leave, briefly squeezing her hand. Fenris followed him out, as if to make sure he was really gone, then returned with two bowls of stew. They ate in silence.

Afterwards, Fenris took off his armour, stretched out next to her and took her into his arms. "I'm sorry, love. I know I was being stupid. It was just... seeing him touch you, knowing that he could help you and I couldn't...."

She pulled him closer, kissing him, letting her hands wander over his body, feeling him tense. He pushed her back and she looked at him questioningly.

"I don't want to hurt you," he muttered. "Besides, everyone will hear us."

She laughed, letting her hand slip under his shirt, tracing circles on his stomach.

"Not if we keep it quiet. And you heard Anders, I'm as good as new."

Fenris shook his head, but she knew he needed this just as badly as she did after the excitement of the battle, and as she pulled him closer she could feel his arousal. Their kisses grew deeper and more heated and soon he had to stifle her moans with his lips while his hands struggled with the laces of her tunic.

He fashioned their two bedrolls into a large blanket against the evening cold before they slipped out of their clothes. Caitlin felt like a young girl, almost giggling at their efforts to keep the noise down, but soon forgot her levity as he caressed her, his lips scorching hot on her skin, his hard length trapped between their bodies. She rubbed against him and he bit his lip to keep his groans from escaping as he lay back and pulled her over him, sheathing himself deep inside her.

They rocked slowly for what seemed an eternity until she suddenly felt the pressure building inside her, making her grind her body against his. Violent spasms overtook her and shook her body to the core. She rode it out, her teeth clenched into the blanket. His body went rigid below her, gripped by the same intensity, the same overwhelming power. She gasped at the sight of him, his eyes clouded over with lust, his lids heavy and his lips half-open in a barely suppressed sigh. With a shudder, she sank down on top of him.

Later, when they had disentangled themselves and crept back into their respective bedrolls, dressed against the cold of the night, Fenris placed a soft kiss on Caitlin’s forehead. "And we live another day," he muttered. "Thank the Maker for Anders' healing skills."


	4. Dark Magic

**Chapter 4: Dark Magic**

The next morning Caitlin, Fenris and their companions were up at dawn. The bandit attack had cost them half a day so they pressed on eagerly. The Wardens had no problem with the gruelling pace she set; they were used to long days on the road. Even Dworkin kept up well, with only the occasional grumble. Fortunately their maps were detailed and precise, and their journey continued without further incidents. Two days later, they finally approached the spot marked on the map by a carefully drawn gate.

They rounded a pleasant green hillside only to find themselves facing a worrying sight. A pair of huge dwarven doors that had been set into the stony surface of an old cave entrance stood wide open, the massive steel plates deformed and pressed inward by some unknown force. Caitlin shuddered when she inhaled the musty, stale air coming up from below.

Dworkin, Oghren and Sigrun immediately set to examining the opening while Caitlin, Fenris and the mages lay down on the grass a little way from them, breathing in the fresh air, trying to store up as much sunlight and warmth as they could. When Dworkin approached them with a worried frown on his face, Caitlin sat up.

"What's the matter, Dworkin? Anything unusual?"

"You could say that." The nervous giggle in the dwarf's voice was more pronounced than ever. "These doors were opened from the outside."

Anders raised an eyebrow in surprise. "From the outside? So someone actually went down there on purpose? Who would have a reason to do so?"

"Anyone who had access to the same records as we did." Bethany chewed on a blade of grass, looking concerned. "Those huge lyrium deposits the books mentioned, they'd be enough to draw the attention of a lot of people."

"Dwarves. Templars. Circle Mages." Caitlin's tone was dry. "They'd all be interested. But would they know about it?"

"There must be records in the Shaperate in Orzammar," Oghren rumbled. "Though who could find them in that clutter of scrolls is anyone's guess."

Anders grinned. "True. But all the groups you mentioned have access to pretty extensive libraries, you know. The Chantry keeps meticulous records, and the Circle library is not too shabby either."

"And don't forget the Tevinter magisters." Fenris' voice was curiously calm and expressionless. "A free source of lyrium.... They wouldn't hesitate to sacrifice as many lives as it takes to have access to that."

"Well, you can count out the dwarves." Dworkin sounded absolutely certain. "The doors were opened by magic. Powerful magic. That was good dwarven steel, held in place by ancient enchantments. Whoever blasted it open was no apprentice."

Caitlin shivered. "And whoever they were, they may still be down there. We'd better be careful."

It was still only late morning, so they decided to go down immediately. The first hours were not too bad. The tunnels were obviously natural, although there were some sections that showed vestiges of dwarven stonework, where passages had been widened or roofs enforced. The cave-floor sloped steadily downwards, and Fenris and the three humans found it harder to breathe the further down they got. The light from the mages' staffs was sufficient to show them the way, but it still felt like eternal night.

"Well, there's one piece of good news," Anders remarked when they rested at a little rocky ledge that formed a natural bench. "No signs of darkspawn corruption so far, and I can't feel anything. Whatever is going on here, it doesn't seem to involve darkspawn."

Caitlin breathed a sigh of relief. The Wardens might be safe from the Taint, but it represented a very real threat for Fenris and herself. _One less thing to worry about._ Of course, this didn't mean there were no dangers down here, she reminded herself. When they rounded a corner about half an hour later, a soft wispy strand trailed across her face and she stopped in her tracks. "Spiders."

And sure enough a crackling noise was coming from the tunnel in front of them.

"Beth. Quick." Caitlin jumped aside to give Bethany space for her trademark freeze spell. Just in time, it turned out, as three giant spiders suddenly dropped from the tunnel roof and immediately attacked them. But Bethany's spell caught them before their poisonous fangs could do any damage. Anders followed up immediately with an incantation of his own, and a massive fist of stone crushed the first spider. Oghren shattered the second with his axe and the third fell under the combined force of their blows before it had time to thaw out.

"Well, that was almost too easy." Anders' grin was infectious. They dealt with several more spider attacks before they finally set up camp in a little side tunnel. The dwarves seemed happy enough underground, in fact more relaxed than Caitlin had seen them so far.

"You know, for all your faults, Oghren, you are a remarkable fighter." Sigrun stretched her legs closer to the fire and patted her fellow warden on the back companionably.

Oghren laughed and leered at her. "Really? Let's go 'round the corner so I can show you something else remarkable."

"Ewww, Oghren. Not this again. It was just a friendly compliment!" Caitlin had to hide a smile at Sigrun's long-suffering expression. It was obvious that those two had been having that kind of conversation more than once.

Oghren sighed dramatically. "Ahhh, saucy lady. What's it take to get that cold heart beating for Oghren?" He didn't expect an answer and he didn't get one.

Caitlin smiled and settled down in her bedroll next to Fenris. He was even more uncomfortable down here than she was. Elves never took well to the tunnels, she knew. "I love you," she mouthed at him, and was rewarded with a small smile before they drifted off to sleep, holding hands.

When they woke up several hours later, they continued downwards. It took them two or three more hours to reach a point where the tunnels became straighter, the floors more even. They passed a huge stone portal and found themselves on a road paved with gigantic flagstones, flanked by massive walls and huge granite pillars carrying the markers of old dwarven thaigs.

Bethany sighed. "Once more to the Deep Roads. I remember when that seemed so daunting... full of promise. We were young and stupid. Let's hope we're not just older."

"Still no taint?" Caitlin shot Anders a questioning look.

He shook his head. "There's _something_ here, though. Don't you feel it?"

He was right. The air had an odd electric quality to it and there was a faint swishing noise. When they passed a crumbling statue, suddenly a transparent apparition materialized in front of them, a dwarven woman with a sad face that disappeared again almost immediately.

"Ghosts." Sigrun almost spat out the word. "Wanna bet there'll be other beasties soon?"

The words hadn't even left her lips when a crackling noise from ahead made them all jump to readiness. A huge pile of bones in front of them had begun to move. Within seconds, two skeletons armed with swords assembled themselves and advanced toward them. Three others picked up bows and arrows from the ground and started to aim at the mages.

Caitlin heard Oghren laugh out loud next to her. "Nothing gets the blood flowing like a proper battle!" His battle axe made short work of the first skeleton and Anders and Bethany easily took out the archers. The brief skirmish wasn't a challenge and they emerged unharmed and only slightly winded. But it wasn't the last attack of this kind. For the next two hours, they fought off one wave after the other, never more than six or seven opponents; not enough to seriously challenge them, but sufficient to make them weary and to hold up their progress considerably. Finally the road widened and there was a door in the wall to their left, an entrance to some sort of guard post. They approached it cautiously, expecting another attack, but the large room they entered was curiously quiet.

There were bones on the floor here too, but they remained dead, and they were interspersed with newer corpses wearing mercenary uniforms. At the back of the room, there was a single corpse, surrounded by the remains of at least ten skeletons.

Anders went over to examine it. "Cait, look at this! I believe we have found our intruders, or at least one of them."

She joined him, looking in distaste at the charred, half-rotten body. The dead man was wearing the remnants of mage robes. Caitlin frowned. The style and cut of them reminded her of something.... She was sure she had seen robes like this before, at one of the market stalls in Kirkwall. They had been expensive, imbued with powerful charms, pure refined lyrium woven into the fabric. Now what had the merchant called them? Tevinter... something... Robes. Yes, they looked like something a magister would wear: dark, sombre, expensive.

The dead man's face was unrecognizable, the front part of his body and most of his feet scorched off. Caitlin shivered. This had been no mere hedge wizard. Whatever had killed him had been powerful and dangerous.

Anders' voice tore her out of her thoughts. "Killed by a fireball or something similar, it seems. Look at his hands, Cait." The man's arms were fixed as they had been at the moment of his death, raised above his head, the sleeves of the robe slipping down, one hand gripping a dagger that was about to cut into the other arm. Caitlin recognized the gesture, having seen it more than once back in Kirkwall. Blood magic.

She was about to open her mouth and reply when Fenris stepped up next to her. He threw one glance at the mage's corpse, then he gasped and grabbed her shoulder. She turned to him in surprise, but he was already down on his knees, retching violently, his face distorted as if in pain.

"Fen!" she cried out in shock. "What is it?"

He looked up at her, his eyes empty, not seeing her at all, and only managed to stammer "Danarius" before they rolled back in their sockets and he lost consciousness.

Fenris hadn't expected anything unusual when he looked over Caitlin's shoulder, but at the sight of the robed figure, something had burst inside his head. Those dark red velvet robes... Danarius had owned a set just like this. And the raised hand, the knife.... Fenris found he had suddenly lost the capacity for breathing, his head started to spin, and then the memories assaulted him.

He was tied to a table, naked, helpless. Danarius was standing above him, arms raised, just like this. The magister's blood began to drop from the wound in his arm, dark red and sluggish. Danarius dipped his finger in it and began tracing the outline of the tattoo on Fenris' chest. The elf watched in disbelief as the intricate whorls formed there and began to glow softly. He felt a faint tingle. Then, without further warning, his skin split open and the pain tore through him, obliterating everything else, a white-hot searing eternity of pain.

Caitlin dropped to her knees beside him, cradling his head, crying out his name. Damn Danarius! The memories of his time with the magister still haunted Fenris. His ghost remained a constant presence in their lives. Those memories were the reason why her beloved sometimes woke up screaming, why some touches would never be acceptable, why magic still had to be avoided whenever possible. But this....

"Has this happened before?" Anders was there, at her side. She shook her head, and the expression on her face tore at his heart.

His experienced hands quickly established that Fenris was in no serious danger "Shhh, Cait, don't worry. He should wake up again soon." The mage took advantage of the elf's unconsciousness to do a rapid scan for other injuries, but as soon as Fenris stirred, he retreated, knowing only too well that his attention would be unwelcome, especially at a time like this.

Moving over to a corner, Anders took a moment to collect himself. He felt numb inside, shocked by the results his quick examination had yielded. He hadn't dared go too deep, because it was always uncertain how Fenris' body would react to magic. But the extent of the old injuries he had seen had made him tremble. Instinctively he had tried to do what he could, but the wounds went too deep for a casual healing. The things the elf had been subjected to, the sheer amount of pain and humiliation those old scars spoke of....

Yet here he was, grinning up apologetically at Caitlin. Anders watched as Fenris took a deep breath, burying his face in Caitlin's lap, inhaling her scent, and immediately relaxed. She was smiling radiantly as she began kissing him, tracing her fingers over his face, whispering in his ears. The mage felt a brief pang of envy. They are so close. I guess this is how they survive....

Anders picked up the dead mage's discarded staff, but he quickly dropped it with a grimace of distaste. The thing felt evil, corrupted, and he knew he could never bring himself to use it, no matter how powerful it might be. Raising his own staff, he conjured up a flame, hot enough to burn the dead mage and his staff to ashes, obliterating every trace of them. When he looked up, Fenris caught his gaze and he saw the expression of sheer relief and gratitude in the elf's eyes.

He stretched out his hand to help Fenris rise. "Ready to go on? Somehow I don't think we're finished here. There's something else down there, and I don't like the feel of it."

Fenris nodded. They could all sense it now, an aura of evil that had settled over the old dwarven ruins and got stronger the further down they got. They gathered their belongings and set off again, ready to face whatever awaited them.


	5. Facing Evil

**Ch 5: Facing Evil**

On and on Hawke and her companions went, following the Deep Roads. Eventually they came across more ruined buildings, the remnants of a mining outpost. There were more corpses, mercenaries in Tevinter armour, craftsmen and smiths equipped with shovels and other digging tools.

Fenris shoved a dead body aside with his foot, looking disgusted and apprehensive. "I don't like this. Those mercenaries wouldn't have gone on by themselves. There must have been more than one mage. Magisters usually travel with at least one apprentice."

Anders nodded. "That sounds reasonable. It might even have been the master's fireball that killed the other mage. The skeletons couldn't have conjured up a flame like this."

Bethany shuddered. "You mean he'd sacrifice his apprentice to take out the skeletons? What kind of person would do this?" Fenris snorted and she glanced at his face. "All right. Forget I asked."

Even the dwarves seemed uncomfortable. The feeling of evil had become palpable now, and Caitlin noticed that they avoided touching the rock around them. Oghren shook himself like a wet dog. "I never thought I'd say this, but... I don't want to go further down, Champion. Something is very wrong here."

Caitlin nodded. "I don't think we have much further to go."

A large building rose before them, the centre of the mining post, the place where the dwarves would have kept their equipment. Its door stood slightly ajar and they didn't doubt a bigger challenge lay ahead, behind that door. They took a moment to prepare before they went in, casting protection spells, coating their blades with poison and magebane. The long corridor they entered was lined with pieces of broken machinery. There were rooms to the left and right, filled with crumbling crates and barrels. Everything in there had to have fallen to dust centuries ago.

At the end of the hallway, there was a huge door, which opened directly into a cavernous room. To their surprise, it was empty except for a number of corpses strewn about and a lone woman in the middle of the room. As they advanced, she raised her small hand to keep them at a distance. Up closer, she looked deceptively tiny and delicate, her waif-like appearance enhanced by her long light blond hair and pale skin. Her eyes were grey as steel and she was extraordinarily beautiful in a cold, remote way. Looking at her, Caitlin immediately felt oversized and clumsy.

The woman was wearing opulent velvet robes dyed a rich purple hue and tailored perfectly to set off her slim waist and small high breasts. On her head, she had a thin steel circlet adorned with strange symbols. Her long spiky staff was made of dark gray onyx. _The magister. Not a man, but a woman._ The Tevinter mage was surrounded by a massive aura of power that made Caitlin shiver. _It is as we thought. The mage up there must have been her apprentice. This is our true adversary._

The magister took one look at Fenris and laughed. Her voice was high and tingly, almost girlish. " _Avanna_ , my pretty one. What an intriguing pattern! I will have a closer look at you later when I've spoken to your master, I promise."

Fenris snarled at her, his posture betraying a mixture of fear and barely contained aggression, but she ignored him and addressed herself directly to Anders, without wasting a glance on the others. "What a charming pet you have, brother. It needs disciplining, though." The look she threw the mage at these words was anything but sisterly.

Anders spat. "The 'pet' is a loyal friend and companion. And I'm not your brother. We have nothing in common."

The magister grinned lasciviously. "I think you'll find you're mistaken, my handsome mage. I can feel your magic, and I'm sure you can... _feel_ mine." She licked her lips. "Anyone with power such as yours wants more. I don't think you are an exception."

Anders snorted contemptuously, but she went on, undeterred. "I came here for the lyrium, my dear, but I found something far better. There is immense power down here, just waiting to be harnessed. Join me, and we'll share it. Together we can vanquish anyone standing in our way."

Anders laughed. "You're mistaken. I don't care about power. All I want is a pretty girl, a decent meal, and the right to shoot lightning at fools. Since I already have all three," he grinned over at Bethany, "you can't tempt me."

The magister shrugged. "Have it your way, then. You won't stop me." With a swift motion, she raised her arms and drew a knife across her palm, chanting an incomprehensible sequence of words. All around them, the corpses began to rise and advance upon them. 

Caitlin barked out commands, trying to deploy their forces to maximum advantage. The dwarves and Fenris would have to deal with the corpses, with a little help from Bethany's spells. Anders and Caitlin attacked the magister, trying to neutralize her before she could get in a spell that would seriously weaken them. The strategy was sound, but to their dismay, they soon realized the Tevinter mage was immune to almost every spell Anders tried on her. A series of blasts and spirit pulses kept Caitlin at a distance, swiping her off her feet whenever she got close enough for an attack.

When the magister began chanting a convoluted spell that sounded vaguely familiar, Caitlin threw a questioning look back at Anders and saw him blanch with fear.

"A death cloud! Stop her, Cait, now!" His voice sounded desperate. "Now! Or we'll all be dead."

Caitlin's eyes fell on Sigrun who was just about to fire another arrow at their foe. "Sigrun! Andraste's arrows!" she cried out.

The rogue grinned and immediately grabbed a blue-fletched arrow from her quiver, nocking it and sending it off toward the magister in one fluid motion. The arrow failed to pierce the woman's rock armour, but on impact, it released a fine powder that made her cry out in sudden pain. Her hands went to her eyes, wiping the powder from them, and the incantation faltered. Quickly, Sigrun followed up with another arrow. Caitlin pressed the advantage and closed in on their opponent.

At this moment, Fenris appeared at her side. That meant the corpses were down. She saw his face contort in pain and fury as his tattoos lit up in a bright flare and he reached out for the magister, his glowing fist almost breaching her chest. "Ahh, a shame that you are going to die, no?" His voice was triumphant and his expression savage.

"You can't defeat me. I am too strong!" With a last desperate effort, the magister cast a mind blast that sent them reeling back.

Her body slumped to the ground but before it collapsed completely, her skin started to fracture and a dark green glow began to emanate from the tears. They watched with horrified fascination as a gaping maw of teeth opened where her face had been and black plates began to cover her body. Large spikes formed on her back and shoulder and she grew impossibly tall, towering over them like a huge statue. With a loud roar, the pride demon threw back its horned head, eyes glowing green with malice, its manifestation complete.

Raising a huge clawed hand, the demon fired a spell in Anders' direction.  Fenris' eyes widened. Without hesitation, he threw himself into the spell's trajectory, but he had underestimated the severity of the injuries he had already suffered. When the full force of the energy bolt hit him, he crumbled to the floor unconscious. Caitlin screamed at the sight and lunged at the demon, swinging her greatsword in a high arc and slicing deeply into its side.

Oghren immediately followed suit, his axe taking out a large chunk of flesh at the monster's back. "Blast this demon fellow! What say we make him sorry?"

Their fury lent them extra strength and they didn't even feel the draining spells the demon cast on them. Anders had his hands full healing them as they were hacking and slicing mercilessly at their foe. Bethany tried a variety of offensive spells, but every one of them bounced back ineffectively from the monster's magical hide. Brute force would have to win the day.

Little by little, the demon tired out. Their quick barrage of strikes prevented it from casting any spells of its own and Sigrun's arrows weakened its blows considerably. Finally Caitlin saw her chance as she ducked under its huge form and found a tiny chink in its carapace. With a savage cry, she rammed her sword between the thick black plates and drove it in as hard as she could. Oghren just about managed to pull her aside before the huge monster collapsed on the floor, nearly smashing her to a pulp.

It was over. The realization took a moment to settle in as they were limping away from the demon's massive corpse, nursing their wounds. Anders was already kneeling at Fenris' side, his hands running feverishly over the elf's unconscious form, blue waves of magic spilling from them. Caitlin watched them, barely able to fight back the panic that was rising in her throat. It seemed like hours had gone by when Fenris opened his eyes with a pained grimace and Anders breathed a sigh of relief.

"I hate magical healing. It feels like being trampled by an ogre." Fenris' voice was weak, but he managed a crooked smile. Caitlin took his hand and kissed the palm feverishly, too shaken to speak.

"Well, you would know." Anders grinned, then grew serious. "Thank you, Fenris. That spell would have been the end of me. Don't do it again, though. Cait might want us to get along, but if you die heroically to save me she will never forgive me."

Fenris coughed and spat on the rough cave floor. "Nonsense. It was a rational decision. You are our best healer and the only one who can revive a fallen companion. I couldn't let you get killed. Besides," he flinched at the pain when he tried to sit up, "my armour is a lot more solid than your swishy robes."

Anders grinned. "Have it your way. I'm still happy to be alive." He handed Fenris several bottles of healing and stamina potions. "Here, drink this. You'll feel better soon."

Caitlin was dizzy with relief and exhaustion. With a sigh, she slumped down on a rock, wiping her forehead with her sleeve. "Maker, that thing was vicious. I've never met a pride demon with such strong magical powers." She looked at Oghren who had dropped to the floor next to her. "Well, Oghren? Feeling better now that we've taken down the big bad?"

The dwarf shook his head. "Naaah, that was just a demon. I've fought plenty of those. This is not over, Champion. The evil is still here. It's in the stone somehow, like a disease."

Caitlin frowned. It was true, the feeling hadn't disappeared. She had attributed it to the lingering presence of the demon. "In the stone? But you said there is no taint."

"It's not like the taint. The stone feels... wrong, unclean." Sigrun looked at her helplessly.

"Can you tell where it's coming from?" Without a moment's hesitation, all three dwarves pointed toward a stone archway at the far end of the room. Sighing deeply, Caitlin got up and, with Oghren's help, recovered her sword. With an effort, everyone staggered to their feet and made for the archway. When they passed through, they stopped in their tracks and gaped speechlessly at the sight before them.

They were standing on a ledge, a kind of natural stone balcony, overlooking a cavern that was larger and deeper than anything they had seen before and illuminated by a soft blue glow. The source of this was immediately obvious. Far below them, a huge expanse of lyrium stretched all the way across the cavern and far into the distance. Rusty chains led down from where they stood, remnants of some ancient transport system.

"The vein." Oghren's voice was almost reverent. "By the tits of my ancestors, this is huge. It would take decades to mine this."

They were far enough above not to be harmed by the raw lyrium's poisonous effects, yet Caitlin felt almost physically sick just looking at it. Anders and Bethany were pale and controlled, but Fenris' face was agitated. There was no way of telling how the proximity of this amount of lyrium would affect his tattoos, she realized. Just then, _something_ stirred on the far side of the vein.

Caitlin stepped back involuntarily even as her brain refused to process what her eyes saw out there. She tried to form words. _A twisted shape? A monstrosity? A teeming, seething mass?_ But none of it seemed adequate. The only thing she knew with absolute clarity was that whatever it was, it was _evil_. Pure, undiluted ancient evil. For a moment, she stood frozen in place, then she felt Fenris' hand on her arm.

"We need to get out of here, love, away from this. Now."

She shook her head. "But we can't just leave it. This must be the power the magister was referring to. We have to...."

"There is no way to reach it, Cait, even if we stood a chance of defeating it. We can't get past the lyrium. It would be suicide to press on."

"I can't believe I'm saying this but... Fenris is right." Anders' words were flippant, but there was an odd quality to his voice. His gaze was fixed on the other side of the cavern. Was that fear in his eyes? Caitlin swallowed but just then the _thing_ writhed again and they all stepped back instinctively. There was something about the way it moved that was utterly unnatural, that defied every category they had ever known. It was alien and _other_ and it frightened them to death.

Caitlin had never run away from danger, but this was different. It was the look on Bethany's face that decided her. Her sister had almost died once because she had stubbornly pressed on. _Not again._

"All right." Her voice was firm. "We retreat. Dworkin, can we seal it off, stop it from spreading?"

The dwarf paled visibly. "You mean, set off an explosion _here_? With the amount of raw lyrium down there, we'd probably take down at least half of the cavern. It would seal it off alright, but there's no way we'd get out of here alive."

"Maybe there is." Anders' eyes were sparkling with excitement. "I have an idea."

They retreated to the room where they had fought the demon, and Anders outlined his plan. "There's a new spell I've learnt recently. It allows me to time my spells, make them come into effect only after a considerable delay. If Dworkin prepares everything, I could set up a fireball here and we could make our way out before it goes off."

Caitlin chewed her lip. "Sounds risky. How long can you delay?"

Anders shrugged. "Ten hours, maybe twelve. It should give us enough time to reach the surface if we don't dawdle. No exploring of side tunnels, no opening of ancient graves." He grinned at her, remembering the old times when she would insist on leaving no stone unturned.

"It might work." Dworkin's face showed a grudging respect for the mage. "Pity about the lyrium vein though."

"Forget the lyrium! There's no way to mine it anyway with that _thing_ in there. Plus the explosion will permanently close off this part of the Deep Roads, making the exit safe as well." Sigrun looked excited. "Let's do this."

Caitlin nodded. "Right. Set it up, Dworkin, Anders. The others, prepare for the way back. Gather what we need. Leave behind what we can do without. Use up the potions if necessary, and rest while you can. There'll be no second chances."

 

 

 


	6. Fireworks

**Chapter 6: Fireworks**

Caitlin and her companions made their way back to the surface without taking the time for a rest. It was a tense and hurried march up through the tunnels. There was little danger of losing their way as long as they kept to the main tunnel, but the journey seemed longer than they remembered and they kept throwing back nervous glances.

The five skeletons bursting from a half-hidden side tunnel took them completely by surprise. They beat them off easily, but every one of them was acutely aware of the time they lost fighting off the monsters. As soon as the last one went to the ground, they rushed onward. They were all tired from the big battle, with little or no reserves to draw upon, and more than once Caitlin questioned the wisdom of their course of action.

But they made it. After endless hours of darkness, they finally saw a tiny pinpoint of light far ahead that rapidly grew bigger. One by one, they stumbled through the doors, blinded by the sun, but utterly grateful to breathe the warm, fragrant surface air again.

"What do we do now?" Bethany put down her backpack with a sigh of relief and sank down on the soft grass, too exhausted to move. The sun was high up in the sky and it was pleasantly warm. They had lost all sense of time underground, but at a rough guess, they hadn't slept in more than a day.

Anders shrugged. "We wait."

Nothing happened. Almost an hour passed with them staring at the tunnel entrance, waiting for the explosion. Sigrun was pacing up and down nervously. "What if it didn't work?"

Dworkin snorted. "My bombs always work. I don't know about that fancy spell, though. You'll have to ask the mage about it."

Anders pouted. "Hey, I'm right here. And I'll have you know there've been no complaints about my spell-casting abilities so far."

To everyone's surprise Fenris spoke up, his deep voice firm and carrying. "Anders deserves our trust. I don't doubt him for a moment."

Anders' head flew up. "Thank you, Fenris." His voice was shaky with emotion.

Caitlin smiled at both for a moment, her eyes shining, then she grew serious again. "Anders, what was that... _thing_ down there? Some kind of Fade monster?"

The mage shook his head. "No, I... don't know. I have never encountered anything like this in the Fade. I have a feeling it came from some other place, far beyond. There are portals into other worlds. Who knows what dwells there?" He took in their pale, drawn faces and shook himself, trying to dispel the mood. "Now, don't get upset, everyone."

Oghren scoffed. "Upset? I don't get upset, I get drunk! And so should you." From the depths of his backpack, he produced a little black flask and offered it to each of the companions in turn. Sigrun made a face but took a deep draught. The others each had a sip as well, sputtering and cursing as they did so.

"Really, Oghren!" Caitlin wiped her mouth, staring at the bottle. "What in Andraste's name is this made of? Demonic ichor and a dash of spider venom?"

Oghren grinned. "Close. But I won't tell you my secret ingredient, so don't bother badgering me."

Then they heard it. A low rumble starting far down below, followed by a muffled thump. The whole hillside seemed to tremble. They jumped back from the entrance as sparks and dust clouds emanated from the tunnel mouth. The commotion seemed to go on for hours, the shaking earth, the muffled noise, like a huge animal roaring and growling underground.

When it finally stopped, they looked at each other, shaken but relieved. Dworkin and Oghren went down into the tunnel but returned within minutes. "No one is going down there again any time soon. The whole tunnel system is unstable now." Oghren sounded sober.

Anders let out a breath he didn't know he'd been holding. "Good. Now for those doors."

Mumbling and fussing, Dworkin set up another set of explosives at the tunnel entrance. With a huge groan of effort, they wedged the huge metal doors shut as far as they could, then ducked into hiding behind some rocks. The blast nearly deafened them, sparks flew and the metal creaked in the heat. When they dared to look, the huge doors were welded shut, with hardly a gap between them.

Caitlin sighed. "I guess this is all we can do. Let's find a good place and make camp. Tomorrow we'll make our way home."

* * *

Sigrun had gone ahead scouting and had announced their return, so everyone was out in the courtyard to greet them when they arrived back at the manor house. Rhianna squeaked at the sight of Fenris and jumped directly into his arms, unmindful of the prickly spikes of his armour. Caitlin watched the two of them kiss and cuddle, and she basked in the pure, innocent joy and love on their faces. Her heart constricted at the thought of what had nearly happened in the Deep Roads. How would she ever have explained to the little one that her beloved daddy would never come home again? When Fenris handed Rhianna over to her, she hid her face in the child's red bush of hair and inhaled that special honey-sweet scent. _My baby._ Anders smiled at her blissful expression.

They spent a happy evening together, feasting and relaxing. Rhianna refused to let go of her parents, clinging to them as if afraid they would leave again. When she finally fell asleep on Caitlin's lap, still holding on fast to a strand of her mother's hair, Fenris freed the little hand tenderly and carried her up to her room.

Caitlin got up and stretched, hands pressed to her aching back. "Maker, I need a bath and a bed," she yawned. "Orana, would you?" The elf scuttled away with a smile, making sure a filled tub would await them in the little bathing chamber next to their bedroom. When all goodnights had been said, Caitlin walked up and, stripping off her tunic, went into the steam-filled little room.

Fenris had undressed already and was testing the water with his hands. She let her gaze travel appreciatively over his naked body. Since they had become parents, seeing him walk around in the nude had become a rare occurrence, much to her regret. His long lean body was as beautiful as ever, his stomach taut, his shoulders broad and strong. Muscles rippled across his back and his tattoos formed interesting patterns on his smooth golden skin as he turned around to smile at her. "Hurry up, love, it's nice and warm."

Caitlin quickly stripped off her remaining clothes and followed him into the large wooden tub. With a happy sigh, she settled between his legs and leaned back into his embrace. Fenris fished a sponge from the soapy, sudsy water and gently began to wash her body, then her hair, his long dexterous fingers massaging her scalp with just the right amount of pressure. It was utterly relaxing, and she sighed happily.

"It's good to be home." His deep voice sent pleasant vibrations down her spine, and she turned around, kneeling between his legs to use the sponge on him.

Her fingers traced the fresh scars on his body, and her face grew serious. "Fen, we can't do this kind of thing anymore. When that demon bitch knocked you down, I thought-"

"Shhhh!" Fenris cut her off. "I know." He pulled her close and kissed her, comforting her, trying to lighten the mood. "Everything turned out alright, Cait, just like it always does. Besides, we are fighters, not farmers." He smiled at the thought of her excited face when they went into battle. "And I wouldn't have you any other way."

Caitlin shook her head. "I mean it, Fen. We can't go on tempting fate like this. Rhi needs us both. From now on, it's about defending ourselves and our home only. Anders will have to find someone else to help him out."

He kissed her again, deeper this time. "Let's talk about this later, love. I've got... other things on my mind now." His voice had become dark, his tone demanding, and the gentle caresses they shared quickly turned into something more intense, more heated. He lifted her higher, and his lips found her nipples, began to tease them, nibble at them before he sucked hard enough to make her moan out loud.

"Fen...." Her hands wandered down and took hold of his already hardening length, massaging him, stroking him. His hips pushed up involuntarily, pressing him into her hand, and her grip got firmer. Fenris' head sank back on the rim of the tube, and he sighed deeply with enjoyment. Letting go of him, she slid down between his legs. Only the tip of his cock was above the water, but that was all she needed. She took him between her lips and began to lick, swirl her tongue around the crown, drawing another sigh from him. Caitlin smiled inwardly at the pleased noises coming from his mouth as she intensified her ministrations, gently sucking now.

Fenris was torn between letting her go on and stopping her now, before it was too late. Her mouth felt so good, her tongue was so incredibly talented, but he wanted more, wanted to be inside her, to feel her all around him. The water was getting cold too.... He made up his mind and pulled her up into a kiss. "Bed, love." He got up and helped her out of the tub, pulling her close to his long, wet body.

They didn't bother with towels. Their bed was beckoning in the room next door, and they couldn't wait. As soon as the door fell shut behind them, they were kissing again, hungry and impatient. Fenris pushed Caitlin down onto the soft cushions, sinking down on top of her, his hands and lips greedily playing with her breasts, and she felt a hot surge of lust at her core.

"Fen, please, I can't wait." She wrapped her legs around him, pulling him close, begging him to enter her. This would have to be quick; they would have time for more later. When he thrust inside her, she closed her eyes, marvelling at the feel of his body against hers, his hands on her back. She felt him tense almost immediately, his movements jerky and erratic, as if he was hanging on to his control by the thinnest of threads. A smile played around her lips, and the next time he was deep inside her, she stretched out her long legs under him, trapping his hard length inside her body.

Fenris' body tautened like a bowstring, and his face contorted at the intensity of the sensation. Suddenly she was impossibly tight, impossibly hot around him and stars were sparkling behind his closed eyelids. Every shred of willpower left him, and he groaned, unable to stop himself from moving. His pace quickened, his breath became ragged, and with a few hard thrusts, he came, cursing violently in Arcanum. Shivering and spent, he sank down on top of her, eyes closed, gasping for air. "Damn it, Cait, what are you doing to me?"

Her triumphant laugh made his eyes fly open again. She was grinning like a cat, her tongue dashing out to lick her lips. "You are going to pay for this, woman," he growled, an absolute promise in his voice. Without leaving her time to answer, he slid down between her legs, grabbed her by the hips and positioned her on a cushion. Caitlin sighed a long happy sigh that soon turned into a whimper when he began to work her mercilessly with his lips and tongue.

"Fen, oh Fen, yes!" She was rapidly losing the ability to talk coherently as he took her through a series of short violent peaks, each one increasing in intensity until she finally arched up against him with a hoarse cry. "Fen!" Her hands tightened in his hair, yanking at the soft silver strands. "Oh Fen, don't stop, never stop, please!" Her body shook all over with a pleasure so consuming, so complete that she nearly cried. _Oh Maker, this is so good!_

He chuckled and grinned up at her smugly. "I told you I would have my revenge." His eyes darkened and he moved up between her legs, claiming her mouth in another long kiss. "No less than you deserve."

Caitlin's legs felt like jelly, her whole body tingling with the aftershocks of her orgasm, and she knew she wouldn't be able to get up if she tried. Not that she wanted to. With a contented sigh, she curled up and felt him at her back, his arms around her, his presence warm and reassuring. They both drifted off to sleep within minutes. Happy, safe, together.

Finally at home.


	7. Temptations

**Chapter 7: Temptations**

"Damn it, Cait, I can't just let it go." Anders ran his hand through his hair in agitation. "I need to know more about this thing. We can't be sure we sealed it off permanently."

Caitlin sighed. They had spent all morning arguing about the strange, evil creature they had found in the Deep Roads. More than anything, she just wished to be done with it, to get on with her life and forget it existed. "Well, what do you want to do? Your records didn't mention anything of that kind, did they?"

Bethany shook her head. "No, they didn't. But we had another idea...."

"This is somehow related to the Fade," Anders said tentatively. "So if we want answers, that's where we need to go."

"You want to go into the Fade?" Fenris raised an eyebrow. "How do you propose to do that?"

The mage sighed deeply. "Remember Feynriel? The ritual we did to reach him in the Fade?" They nodded. "Well, I think I can piece it together. I might need some help, though. If only Keeper Marethari was still alive."

Caitlin looked thoughtful. "Well, Marethari may be gone, but there is a Dalish clan that lives near here in the forest. Merrill spends part of the year with them. We could ask their Keeper, if you really think it is that important."

"It is, Cait." Bethany walked over to embrace her sister. "We can't just leave it at that, you know."

"I can't leave Rhianna again, not when we have just returned." Caitlin's lips were set into a firm expression. "You'll have to do this alone."

"I'll go." Fenris looked at her, just as determined. "They will need someone to take them there, to introduce them to the Clan. And maybe they'll need more help."

Caitlin opened her mouth to protest, but then she thought better of it. _I am not going to discuss this in front of all the Wardens!_ "Let's send a message to Merrill first."

* * *

A week passed until their messenger returned with an invitation to the Dalish camp. While they were waiting, Caitlin spent hours and hours fruitlessly arguing with Fenris, but he wouldn't be budged.

"Cait, if this thing ever gets out, it will be a danger to all of us. Let me do this." He embraced her and held on to her tenderly. "I need to do this."

Fenris and the Wardens set out early next morning. It took them three days to reach the camp. The dwarves looked at the aravels set up in a large circle around an ancient oak tree with a kind of horrified fascination. It was a large camp for Dalish standards, and the hunters were vigilant. Three of them accompanied the visitors to a carved wooden seat under the oak, where the aged keeper awaited them.

Keeper Hadril greeted them with a wary politeness. " _Andaran atish'an_ , Fenris. You and your friends are welcome." She eyed the dwarves with barely concealed distrust, but looked with respect at the two mages.

"Fenris! How are you? And how are Cait and Rhianna?" Merrill had appeared from one of the tents and was throwing herself at them with a delighted squeal.

"Merrill. Still not an abomination, I see." Fenris' tone was dry.

The little mage laughed happily. "Well, let's take a look. Not insane. Not deformed. Not attacking everyone. No, I think I'm still good!"

"Well, that's a relief." He smiled at her affectionately. "We need your help, Merrill, and yours, Keeper."

Hadril nodded. "Merrill told me you wish to draw on our ancient magic. This is not something we would do for just anyone, but we owe you and Hawke. You'd better talk to my First about it. Nienna!"

A very young, very pretty elf stepped forward and greeted them with a bow. She had long black hair and beautiful grey eyes. "We will need time to prepare. And you," she said, looking at Bethany, "will have to help. Merrill and I can't do this alone. I am not powerful enough yet, and we can't risk involving the Keeper."

Bethany bit her lip. "I had hoped to accompany Anders. He shouldn't go alone. And the dwarves can't enter the Fade."

"That leaves me." Fenris smiled sardonically at Anders. "It seems we just can't get rid of each other, mage."

* * *

Fenris shivered when they entered the Fade, the strange, barren landscape of dreams and nightmares. It wasn't a place he would ever feel comfortable in. The lyrium in his tattoos was tingling, and he prayed they would find what they were looking for, and find it soon. But then he heard Anders' stifled cry behind him and spun around. The expression on the mage's face was pained, almost tortured. When he noticed Fenris' worried frown, he tried to smile.

"I'm sorry, Fenris. Coming back here is... harder than I thought it would be. Justice...." The mage swallowed.

"Come on, Anders." Fenris' voice was harsh, but his touch was surprisingly gentle as he took hold of the mage's arm and led him forward. "Justice is gone. Don't think about the past. We have to focus."

Anders nodded and took a deep breath, closing his eyes for a moment. The landscape around them changed and began to resemble the tunnels they had left behind only a few days ago. All around them, a pale imitation of dwarven stonework rose, and they pressed on eagerly, recognizing the lower floors of the old mine. When they reached the huge cavern where they had slain the magister, they stopped in their tracks.

Just like then, a woman was standing in the middle of the room. But this one looked different, taller, and if possible even more forbidding than the Tevinter mage had. She had long raven-black hair and large, exotic golden eyes. Her svelte body was clad in thin dark robes made from some unfamiliar material, and she carried a staff unlike any Anders had ever seen. And she radiated power.

When they stepped closer, the woman smiled at them, in a not unfriendly way. "Well, well, what have we here? 'Twould seem I am not the only one who is interested in this intruder."

"Who are you?" Anders was fascinated.

"She is no simple mage, that much is certain." Fenris was growling, the hairs on his neck standing up.

The woman laughed, throwing back her head to reveal a pale, perfect neck. "You may have heard of me. I am Morrigan. Or maybe you know me as the Witch of the Wilds. 'Tis of no import what you call me."

Anders' eyes widened. " _The_ Morrigan? Flemeth's daughter? The one who travelled with the Hero of Ferelden? They say you disappeared after her death."

Morrigan smiled, a little wistfully. "They say true then. I have prowled shadows that you never dreamed existed and travelled to places you can't even begin to imagine. This world is about to change, mage, and the answers to Thedas' troubles can't be found here. They lie beyond this world, beyond the Fade even."

Anders nodded slowly. He could feel the strange waves of power coming from her, power unlike anything he had ever encountered. "Why did you come back?"

Morrigan's face hardened. "That... thing you found. It shouldn't be here. I think it has slipped through from another place. I may have... inadvertently caused this. And now you are here and so am I... 'Tis certain this means I should help you with it." She cocked her head over to the end of the cavern and smiled a haughty smile at Anders.

"You have some power, mage, but not enough to deal with this kind of threat." Ignoring his angry snort, she turned from them. "I will see to it. Now you should go back." At a simple snap of her fingers, a faint golden barrier rose up behind her as she walked away toward the stone archway.

Fenris and Anders tried to follow her, but the barrier held firm. With a frustrated sigh, the elf turned to his companion. "I have seen powerful mages, spirits, and abominations. But I have never seen anything like her. What is she?"

Anders shook his head. "I don't know. I have never felt that kind of power. But I'm afraid she's right. We need to go back." He cast a worried glance at Fenris. "It won't do us any good to stay here too long, you know."

They turned back, but they had only walked a few paces, when a familiar figure appeared before them. Both stared in disbelief at the red-haired dwarf with the huge crossbow strapped to his back who was walking up to them with a friendly smile.

"Varric?" Fenris sounded incredulous. "What in the Maker's-"

"That's not Varric, Fenris!" Anders tried to pull the elf back, but it was too late. They were already too close.

"Come on, you two. Make yourself at home. Have a drink, I'll put it on my tab." The dwarf's voice was soothing, and his eyes were staring at them with a curious expression. Then everything went black.

* * *

Anders awoke slowly, yawning and stretching. A bright autumn sun was shining down on him through a window above. He was lying on a bale of soft hay in an old wooden barn, and next to him, someone moved.

"Hey, lover!" The pretty young redhead next to him laughed up into his face.

They were both naked, he realized with a start. He looked the girl over, trying to recall her name and how he had gotten here. Ah, now he remembered. He had run off from the Tower again, but this time they wouldn't have been able to trace him. His phylactery was gone, destroyed, lying at the bottom of the lake. He was free. And he had celebrated his first night of freedom at a tavern with this sweet, pretty girl. With a happy sigh, Anders reached out for her and let his hands roam over her firm young body.

"Hmm, don't stop." She stretched voluptuously, purring like a cat. "Will you do that electricity thing again?"

He laughed and pulled her closer. "If you like..."

She was soft and warm under his touch, and the sun was hot on his back. Anders sighed with pleasure as he rolled over and pulled the girl on top of him. A cute little kitten was playing up in the rafters, slipping and dangling from a beam.  _Just like Ser Pounce-a-lot... Damn the Wardens for taking him away._ He frowned. _Wait a minute. Wardens? What Wardens? Something is... wrong. How did I get here?_

And then suddenly it all came rushing back and he flinched. _I am a Grey Warden_. The Taint. Justice. The Chantry. Caitlin. Bethany. The Deep Roads and... the _Fade_. He pushed the girl away with a sigh of regret. _Just an illusion._ He should have known it was too good to be true. As he shook himself, the scenery around him dissolved slowly and he looked down to find his robes back in place. He was back in the bizarre landscape of the Fade, but he was alone.

"Fenris?" With a worried frown, Anders walked over a small rise and found himself facing a pleasant whitewashed building. From inside there came the soft whinnying of horses. He sighed and entered.

Fenris was standing with his back to him in one of the stalls, carefully grooming a beautiful white stallion. When the elf turned around to face him, Anders gasped in surprise. The lyrium tattoos were gone. Fenris' face and arms were bare, free of the snaking lines that had covered them as long as Anders could remember. And the expression on his face was open, friendly, relaxed, if a little surprised at seeing someone come in.

"Greetings, stranger." The elf's deep voice was pleasant and melodious. "Can I help you?"

Anders swallowed hard. Fenris looked so happy, so whole. It was heartbreaking knowing what he had to do. But then he thought of Caitlin, of their child. "Fenris, it's me, Anders. You have to snap out of this. It's an illusion, created by a demon." The mage shuddered at the flash of pain that momentarily crossed Fenris' features.

"An illusion? Why would it be an illusion? And why do you call me Fenris? I am Leto. And this is my master's favourite stallion, Ragnar. Aren't you, my beauty?" The elf petted the horse's soft nose affectionately.

"Your master's... Fenris, you don't have a master. You are free. You have a wife, and a child." Anders knew he sounded frenzied, and he tried to keep his voice calm. "Please, Fenris, wake up. Think of Rhianna, of Caitlin."

The pain returned to the elf's face and got stronger. He closed his eyes and balled his hands to fists, his struggle clearly visible. Anders breathed a sigh of relief as the buildings around them grew dimmer, the same moment the markings on Fenris' flesh slowly began to reappear.

"Rhi... Cait... oh Maker!" Fenris shook his head in disbelief. "How could I...." He looked up at Anders. "What's going on here, Anders?"

A deep voice behind them made them both spin around. "What a pity! You two were coming along so nicely. Wasn't this just what you've always wanted? Why fight it?" A huge shade was rearing its ugly head before them.

"A sloth demon." Anders mouthed at Fenris. "Don't listen. Attack."

Fenris nodded grimly. With a savage cry, he raised his greatsword and closed in on the creature at the same time as Anders cast a petrifying spell. Together they easily took down the shade, but when it collapsed, it didn't dissolve. Instead, it curled up on the floor, rapidly solidifying into a huge, lumbering shape that rose above their heads. With a loud grunt, the ogre picked up a rock from the floor and aimed it straight at Anders.

"Get out of the way, Anders!" Fenris jumped in, burying his blade deep in the creature's belly. The ogre roared, but then its huge fist closed around the elf's slender body and began to crush inwards. Fenris cried out in pain. Anders raised his staff and a stonefist rushed straight past the elf's head into the ogre's chest. The monster staggered back, loosening its grip and Fenris slipped down to the ground, immediately stabbing upwards with all his might. The ogre went down almost soundlessly and Fenris took advantage of the brief hiatus to down a stamina potion.

This time they were prepared when the demon rose again, in the shape of an abomination. Anders kept throwing spells at it while Fenris danced around it in small graceful steps, inflicting bleeding wounds with his sword. This incarnation was a lot easier to deal with than the ogre. _But how many more?_ Fenris could feel himself begin to tire despite the potion. With a high-pitched squeal, the abomination collapsed and transformed into a familiar, twirling shape.

"An Arcane Horror! Careful, Fen, it's casting!" Anders shouted, but it was too late. The demon had already finished its incantation and Fenris was screaming in pain, twitching between the energy barriers of a crushing prison that were moving in to squeeze him to death.

"Oh no, you won't! Die, bastard!" Anders' voice was furious as he focussed all his power on a single spell. With a strange sucking noise, a wave of blue energy washed over them. His mana streamed out to envelop the demon and bleed it of its power and its life. There was a loud pop, almost anticlimactic in its briefness, and then silence. Fenris' writhing body dropped to the floor, the spell broken with the death of its caster. Anders slumped down, spent but relieved.

"Let's get out," he gasped. They got to their feet and limped over to the portal that had appeared only a few paces from their location. With a last concerted effort, they locked hands and both stumbled through it.

* * *

When Fenris opened his eyes again, he saw the soft fabric of an aravel sway above his head.

"Good, you're awake." Anders' voice sounded exhausted, but content. "We made it back in one piece, it seems." The mage was sitting on a small stool next to Fenris' pallet, sipping from a cup.

Fenris sighed. "Maker, that was worse than I expected. A sloth demon, you said?"

The mage nodded. "I should have noticed right away. It was playing quite nicely on our... weaknesses."

"But why would it send me back to being a slave?" Fenris' expression was a mixture of embarrassment and anger. "Is this supposed to mean I would be happier there?"

Anders shook his head. "This is not about happiness or fulfilment. It was offering you the easiest option. A life without pain and responsibility. Trust me, it did much the same for me."

The door flap of the aravel moved and Bethany stepped in. "Fenris. Thank the Maker! Are the two of you well enough to tell us about what happened?" They nodded and followed her out.

When they had finished their tale, editing out some of the more personal bits, Oghren snorted. "Morrigan! Oh yes, I remember her well. Wasn't ever sure she was truly a woman, though. Or even human! Mind you, she wasn't ugly." He grinned at the memory of the witch in her flimsy robes. "But if _she_ is dealing with the beastie, you needn't worry. I wouldn't want to be in its shoes."

Merrill nodded, her face serene. "Morrigan is a daughter of the _Asha'bellanar_. Of course she can do this."

"You're right." Anders' expression was sober. "Let's head back to the estate as soon as we can. Caitlin will be waiting."

Fenris pulled himself up to his feet. "Well, then let's go. No use lingering."

They said their thanks to the Keeper and set off. As they made their way through the forest, Fenris threw a brief glance at Anders. _The easiest option. Well, good things are never easy._ He smiled, thinking about his wife and child awaiting him at home. _But they are worth all the effort you put into them._

**Author's Note:**

> Zevgirl worked her beta magic on this and made it a much better read. Thank you so much!


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